Ninja Soul
by Ryoko-hime
Summary: A deadly battle between two ninja clans. Shizuru and Natsuki mortal enemies. Can the tides be turned to prevent all-out war, and bring together two souls who were always meant to be together?


**Disclaimer** - I do not own the characters of Mai Hime. They are owned by Sunrise

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><p><strong><em>Ninja Soul<em>  
><strong>

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><p>Two dangerously-sharp, yet stunningly-beautiful Katanas flashed through the air beneath the pounding rain, each strike against the others steal surface ringing throughout the empty courtyard.<p>

Shizuru paused slightly in her attack, the rain sloughing off of her body, her breath leaving slight puffs in the mildy-cool air before her. The pair of white Hakama that she wore covered her slender legs, while her upper body was bare except for the white binding tape holding her breasts tightly against her chest.

Natsuki also paused her attacks as she took in and released slow breaths, watching her opponent carefully with a green slit-eyed glare. The Hakama she wore was full midnight-black, as were the bindings that kept her breasts in place.

"What are you up to, Fujino? We don't have all day here. If you really want to fight me so badly, then let's get this over and done with!" the dark-haired girl cried out as she quickly rushed forward, her feet barely making contact with the ground, as she seemed to dance in the air before the chestnut-haired young woman.

Shizuru let out a small puff of disgust before she quickly raised her Katana, immediately stopping the downward swing of Natsuki's blade.

"You will _never_ defeat me, Natsuki Kuga of the Stalking Tiger Clan. I am Shizuru Fujino, an elite ninja of the Soaring Dragon Clan and your mortal enemy. You...you killed my mother. For that your blood will paint my blade tonight," Shizuru hissed out, as with a mighty _push_ she shoved Natsuki back several feet.

Natsuki quickly regained her balance, mildly surprised at Shizuru's strength before she allowed a grim frown to cross her lips.

"It was an accident. I never...I never meant to kill Amaterasu Fujino! She walked into a trap we had set for Tomoe of the Striking Snake Clan. She was never supposed to be there!" Natsuki cried out as she slashed her blade off the the side in her agitation, causing water droplets to bounce off her blade's gleaming surface.

Shizuru narrowed her blood-red eyes at the girl before her, before she let a sneer cross her lips.

"Lies! You really expect me to believe a word that you say. My mother was a _brilliant_ ninja. She would have never fallen for some simple trap set by your clan to foil another. There is more here than you are telling me, and by my hand I will _make_ you tell me all that transpired that night my mother died, before I separate your head from you neck!" Shizuru cried out as she rushed forward towards Natsuki again.

Natsuki let out a low growl of pure frustration, before she quickly met Shizuru's blade with her own.

Again and again the two women slashed and struck at each other, their blows powerful and sending resounding tremors throughout their bodies, as they danced their deadly dance across the courtyard.

Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the two figures as they fought each other, desperate to each gain the upper hand yet they were both evenly matched in strength and skill.

Finally they both stood panting hard across from each other, blood leaking from numerous cuts and scrapes across their upper bodies, and along their legs where sharp blades had ripped open their Hakama.

Shizuru was leaning a bit heavily on her side, a deep gash leaking her life's blood down her waist, a result of a careless movement of her bare feet against the hard pavement, and a quick strike of Natsuki's blade.

Natsuki licked her wet lips, as she used her bleeding injured hand to push aside a few strands of wet hair from her eyes. Shizuru had gotten in a good cut before, slicing her skin from the back of her wrist all the way up the middle of her arm. She knew that they were both in bad condition, and that they couldn't continue on like this without one of them paying the ultimate price.

_Why won't the damned stubborn woman __**listen**__ to me when I'm trying to tell her the truth about what happened to her mother,_ Natsuki grimaced angrily to herself, as she once again readied herself into a fighting stance, watching Shizuru do the same before her.

_The damn woman is going to get us both killed here tonight, but I can't back down. For the pride and honor of my Clan I **will** fight. Even if it's against you...Shizuru. I...will...fight!_

With her mind made up, Natsuki let out a mighty cry and rushed forward, mentally preparing herself with every step for this to be the final blow to end this fight between her and Shizuru.

Shizuru let out an answering cry, and rushed forward with her Katana set to deliver her finishing strike.

_Natsuki cried out as she brought her blade down._

_Shizuru let out a loud cry as she swept her blade up._

Twin _shreeks_ of metal against metal rang out through the night, and the very air around them became frightfully still.

Natsuki gasped softly as she looked up into almost-identical green and annoyed eyes before her.

Shizuru let out a short puff of air as she looked up into displeased, violet-coloured eyes.

"Nao."

"Haruka."

Both Natsuki and Shizuru took dual steps back, the blades of both their Katanas scraping lightly against the raised blades of their unexpected visitors, who stood side-by-side between the two formerly dueling opponents.

"Master Hiroshi is commanding that you return this _instant_, Shizuru," Haruka said with a deep frown on her face, as she looked over the heavily-injured body of her partner.

"Likewise mutt, I mean _Natsuki_," Nao said in a sickeningly-sweet voice, as she sheathed her blade that she had used to stop Natsuki's attack. Haruka had done the same with her sword, which was now also sheathed at her waist.

"You _know_ Master Ryo is going to have a fit when he finds out how badly you've fucked yourself up tonight. You're still in the doghouse over the incident with that one's mother over there," here Nao pointed over her shoulder at Shizuru who made to move to angrily slice Nao, but she was held back by Haruka who just shook her head _no_ at her.

Shizuru allowed a scowl to cross her usually-serene face, but then she nodded once at Haruka, and straightened her body as best she could with her injuries. Then raising her Katana and leveling it at Natsuki in a threatening manner, the heir to the Soaring Dragon Clan spoke.

"Beware Natsuki Kuga, heir to the Stalking Tiger Clan. I will _not_ rest until your body breathes this planet's air no more. So watch your back. Watch you every step. Because the day of your end is close at hand."

With her proclamation made Shizuru whirled on her feet, clutching at her side as she became dizzy from pain and exhaustion. Haruka was immediately at her side holding her up and helping her walk, as they quickly vanished into the shadows.

Nao watched the two of them walk away with a mild expression on her face, before she turned to Natsuki and gave her a small smirk.

"Looks like you have a mighty dragon that's gonna chase you down and gobble you all up someday soon."

Natsuki just groaned loudly, and growled at Nao to give her a hand back to their Clan's hidden base. Nao complied but she harassed Natsuki the entire way, making sure that the raven-haired girl knew that she was _never_ going to let Natsuki live this one down. If she _indeed_ managed to live at all for the next few days.

Natsuki just continued to ignore her partner as Nao helped her hobble away into the darkness. But before they blended back into the forest surrounding the site of her battle with Shizuru, Natsuki paused briefly to send a sad, wistful glance over her shoulder.

_I'm sorry, Shizuru...I'm so...sorry...  
><em>

Then letting out a slightly-pained sigh, Natsuki turned her head back around and vanished with Nao into the forest's darkness.

Hidden away on a shrine roof that overlooked the battle that had just taken place in the middle of the courtyard, a silent dark figure quickly rose from its hiding place. A sinister smile slithered across the watcher's face, and a faint evil laugh floated along on the wind. The rains had since stopped as the figure jumped down from the roof, and melted back into the shadows from which it came.

Its plans were moving along _exactly_ as planned. And soon the Clans of the Soaring Dragon and Stalking Tiger would be no more. Torn apart by each others hands.

Yes, plans were moving along _perfectly_.

A soft laugh that sounded like the hiss of a snake slithered along on the wind, and the feeling of a terrible omen coming to pass could be felt in the very air.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I hope you all enjoyed this little plot bunny that just came up, grabbed me, shook me, and would not let go until it was written~

Please let me know what you guys thought of it =3


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